The present invention relates to portable optical scanners and more specifically to an apparatus for scanning and downloading data, including bar code information.
Optical scanners are well known for their usefulness in retail checkout and inventory control. Optical scanners generally employ a laser diode, the light from which is focused and collimated to produce a scanning beam. A mirrored spinner directs the beam against a plurality of stationary mirrors, and a detector collects the beam after it is reflected by a bar code label. A motor rotates the spinner. The pattern produced by such a scanner is characterized by lines oriented at various angles to one another.
In a typical portable scanning environment, both gathering and data downloading must be performed. Data gathering is normally accomplished using a laser scanner. Data downloading to a host computer is normally accomplished through an RF transmitter or wired serial communications scheme. However, such methods of downloading data require additional communications circuitry, which adds weight and cost to portable scanning units.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a scanning apparatus which can download data without using an RF or wired serial communications module.